Michelle Asha Cooper, President of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, Recognized as a Top Postsecondary Leader in Diverse Magazine
Published May 13, 2014
Washington, D.C., March 1, 2012—Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) President Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D., is being celebrated in the first-ever “Women’s History Month” edition of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine as one of 25 women who stand out for their ability to forge solutions to the unprecedented challenges faced by the nation’s colleges and universities. The special issue is due out today and heralded with the theme “Leading the Way: 25 Women Making a Difference.”
“With Michelle being included among the list of honorees, the selection affirms that she has successfully demonstrated the ability to tackle challenges,” said William E. Cox, president and CEO of Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine. “We are confident that Michelle will continue to accomplish great things throughout her career.”
Cooper is a well-respected education policy leader who has spent a career dedicated to and rooted in the postsecondary community. While leading IHEP—which is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to promoting access to and success in higher education for all students—she oversees an expansive research portfolio to inform a wide range of stakeholders on key postsecondary policy issues. Under Cooper’s leadership, IHEP has become one of the world’s premier research and policy centers. In November 2011, Cooper, along with the entire IHEP staff, was recognized by the Association for the Study Higher Education for showing exemplary leadership to the higher education community.
“Thank you to Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine for recognizing me as a leader who is working to make a difference in higher education,” said Cooper. “My personal and professional commitment to promoting access to and success in higher education for all students is far beyond measure. For that reason, I am grateful to the Diverse team for recognizing my career-long dedication to the postsecondary community.”
Prior to joining IHEP, Cooper held various leadership positions at the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance (U.S. Department of Education), Association of American Colleges and Universities, Council for Independent Colleges, and King’s College. She is a member of the board of directors for ACCESS, the College of Charleston Alumni Board, the National College Access Network, and the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars; as well as serves on a number of advisory boards and councils, including the Task Force on Preventing Community Colleges from Becoming Separate and Unequal (The Century Foundation), the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund), and the National Leadership Council for Liberal Education and America’s Promise (also known as LEAP, Association of American Colleges & Universities).
In addition, Cooper is a highly sought after speaker who often provides commentary to various media outlets including C-SPAN, FOX News, and NPR as well as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Forbes, The Hill, Huffington Post, Inside Higher Ed, USA Today, and Washington Post. In addition, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine named her “25 to Watch” in its special 25th anniversary issue (2009) featuring 25 up-and-coming higher education leaders who are carrying the diversity mantle forward in an avowed commitment to progress.
According to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine’s co-founder, Frank L. Matthews, “leadership as we know it is not bound by gender. Each of these 25 women exemplifies the vast range of traits needed in today’s complex environment.”
Other women highlighted in the Women’s History Month issue include:
- Myrna Adams, Former Vice President for Institutional Equity, Duke University
- Lezli Baskerville, President & CEO, NAFEO
- Stephanie Bell-Rose, Managing Director and Head, TIAA-CREF Institute
- Molly Corbett Broad, President, American Council on Education
- Phyllis Buchanan, Manager, Office of Education, DuPont Corporation
- Dr. Cheryl Davenport Dozier, Interim President, Savannah State University
- Dr. Charlene Dukes, President, Prince George’s Community College
- Kim Ford, Associate Director of Diversity & Inclusion, NCAA
- Lenora M. Green, Director of Client Relations, ETS Social Investment Fund
- Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center
- Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor, University of Houston System
- Dr. Valarie King, Director, Office of Diversity Initiatives, University of Central Florida
- Dr. Cora B. Marrett, Deputy Director, National Science Foundation
- Cyndi Nance, Nathan G. Gordon Professor of Law, University of Arkansas School of Law
- Dr. Barbee Myers Oakes, Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Wake Forest University
- Dr. Janine Pease, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Fort Peck Community College
- Arlethia Perry-Johnson, Vice President for External Affairs, Kennesaw State University
- Dr. Lucy J. Reuben, Professor of Practice, The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
- Deborah A. Santiago, Vice President for Policy and Research, Excelencia in Education
- Dr. Teresa A. Sullivan, President, University of Virginia
- Dr. Karan L. Watson, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Texas A&M University
- Dr. Belle S. Wheelan, President, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Dr. Phyllis Wise, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine stands alone as the only source of critical news, information, and insightful commentary on the full range of issues concerning diversity in American higher education. While the 2012 Women’s History Month edition marks the first time Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine has celebrated the month (March), the publication plans to continue doing so annually.
To learn more about Cooper, visit IHEP’s Web site at www.ihep.org.
